Golf club cleaner

ABSTRACT

A golf club cleaning device including an upwardly open receptacle containing washing liquid. A shaft transversely journaled by the upper edge portions of opposing walls of the receptacle is provided with scrubbing brushes and a fabric buffer. An electrical resistance heating element heats the washing fluid.

Mite States Eater [451 Mar. M, 1197 Hash [54] GULF CLUB CLEANER [72]Inventor: Gentry .l. V. Hash, 1729 Churchill Way,

Oklahoma City, Okla. 73120 [22] Filed: June 22, 1970 21 Appl. No: 48,065

[521 U.S.Cl. ..115/4,15/21D [51] 1nt.Cl. ..A46b 13/041 [58]fieldolsenrch ..15/21,34, 36, 38,39, 74, 15/010. 9, 4

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS I 826,806 7/1906 Scoggins..15/34 UX 1,506,696 8/1924 Walser ..15/34 X 3,332,099 7/1967 Reiter..15/21 R 3,081,471

Newell ..15/21 D Primary Examiner-Daniel Blum Attorney-Robert K. RheaAMSCT A golf club cleaning device including an upwardly open receptaclecontaining washing liquid. A shaft transverselyjoumaled by the upperedge portions of opposing walls of the receptacle is provided withscrubbing brushes and a fabric buffer. An electrical resistance heatingelement heats the washing fluid.

'1 Cami, 4 nil-Wan Figures GOLF CLUB CLEANER BACKGROUND OF THEINVENTION 1. Field of the invention.

The present invention relates to a cleaning apparatus and moreparticularly to a golf club cleaning and drying apparatus.

It is important, from the view point of proficiency, in playing golfthat the golf club heads be maintained in a clean state free from soilor grime. It is also important that the golf clubs be cleaned after eachuse to eliminate the presence-of dirt in the grooves of irons to preventcertain chemicals in soils inducing corrosion or rusting and consequentpitting of the club head surface. Furthermore, a greater stability andcontrol of a golf ball flight may be achieved when using a golf clubwhich has been properly cleaned.

It has been common practice to use a cleaning fluid and a hand brush forcleaning golf clubs but this is, at best, a slow and tedious operation.

2. Description of the prior art.

Golf club cleaning devices are disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,148,396;3,332,099; 3,400,416 and 3,412,414 wherein the head is inserted into theapparatus through an opening therein for the cleaning action wherein theactual cleaning action cannot be observed while in progress.

This invention, on the other hand, provides an open-type cleaner whereinthe user may manually position the golf club head against selected onesof a plurality of brushes to observe the cleaning action while inprogress and supplement the cleaning action by the emersion of the clubhead in the cleaning fluid as may be necessary thus avoiding any damageto the surface of the golf club head whether it be an iron or wood.Furthermore, the components used in this invention are readily availableand the simplicity of construction renders the cleaning deviceinexpensive in initial cost and operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A stand supported upwardly open receptacle isprovided with a golf club handle contacting resilient padding on its upwardly disposed rim. A shaft is transversely journaled by the receptaclenear its upper limit. A plurality of brushes, mounted on the shaft inspaced-apart relation, are rotated with the shaft by a motor supportedby the stand. An electrical resistance heating element is positionedwithin the receptacle below the level of the cleaning fluid therein.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a golf club headwashing and drying device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front elevational view ofthe device with a portion of the receptacle wall broken away forclarity;

FIG. 2 is a top view of FIG. 1; and,

FIGS. 3 and 4 are left and right side views, respectively of FIG. I.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Like characters of referencedesignate like parts in those figures of the drawings in which theyoccur.

In the drawings:

The reference numeral indicates the device, as a whole, comprising anupwardly open rectangular receptacle l2 hav-' ing its bottom wall 113resting on a stand I4. The receptacle 12 includes a front wall I6 joinedto a backwall I8 by sidewalls and 22. The top of the receptacle ispartially closed by a top wall 24 joined to the backwall l8 and therearward portion of the sidewalls 20 and 22. The sidewalls 20 and 22,forwardly of the forward limit of the top wall 24, are angled or beveleddownwardly to form an incline, as indicated at 26, terminating in theplane of the upper limit of the forward wall 16. Thus the horizontalplane of the upper edge of the forward wall I6 is spaced below thehorizontal plane of the top wall 24 for ease in manipulating a golfclub, not shown, when cleaning the club, as hereinafter described.

The forwardly declining upper edges 26 of the sidewalls and the upperlimit of the front wall 16 is covered by a resilient material, such asrubber, or the like, to form a strip of padding 28 to prevent damage tothe surface of a golf club handle, or the like, while being cleaned.

The top wall 24 is provided with an opening 30 open toward its forwardedge which is covered by a hood or splash guard 32 secured to the topwall around its edges defining the opening 30. The guard 32 ischaracterized by a top wall 34 which is inclined upwardly and forwardlyof the forward edge of the top wall.

An elongated shaft 36 projects transversely through and beyond thesidewalls 20 and 22 adjacent their upper limit and in spaced relationwith respect to the forward edge portion of the top wall 24. Bearings38, connected with the respective sidewall, journal the shaft. A stiffbristle cleaning brush 46 is coaxially secured to one end of the shaft.Similarly a washing and scrubbing brush 42, preferably a bristle brush,is coaxially connected to the shaft medially its ends and in spacedrelation with respect to the inner surface of the guard 32. A buffer andpolisher 44, comprising a plurality of diametrically equal layers offabric, or the like, is coaxially secured to the opposite end portion ofthe shaft 36.

A motor 46, having a drive shaft 48, is secured to a motor mount 50,connected with and supported by the stand 114 adjacent the lower limitof the rearward wall 18. Belt and pulley means 52 is connected with theshaft 363 and drive shaft 48 for rotating the brushes and fabric buffer.

An electrical resistance heating element 54 is positioned within thereceptacle 12 in spaced relation with respect to its sidewalls andbottom 13 below the level of a quantity of cleaning liquid 56 containedby the receptacle. A source of electrical'energy AC is connected to ajunction box 58 and in turn connected with the motor 46 and heatingelement 54 by wires 60 and 62, respectively. Obviously a thermostat, notshown, may be used to control the temperature of the washing liquid ifdesired. Current to the motor and heating element is controlled byswitches 64 and 66, respectively.

OPERATION In operation the washing liquid 56, containing a suitabledetergent or soap, if desired, is heated by the heating element 54 to adesired temperature. A golf club to be cleaned, not shown, having anexcess of dirt or grime clinging to its head, or other portions thereof,is manually positioned against the rotating cleaning brush 40 to removesuch excess of soil. The golf club head is then further cleaned toremove all dirt and grime by dipping the head into the cleaning fluid 56and positioning the head against the lowermost peripheral surface of thescrubbing brush 42. During this cleaning action the padding 28 preventsdamage, such as scratching, to the gold club handle portion. The golfclub head may be forcibly positioned against the scrubbing brush 42 byresting an intermediate point of the golf club handle on the padding 28which acts as a fulcrum point when the handle held end of the golf clubis moved downwardly. This action is repeated until the golf club appearscleaned which is then dried and buffed or polished by manuallypositioning it against the rotating periphery of the fabric buffer 44.

Obviously the invention is susceptible to changes or alterations withoutdefeating its practicability, therefore, I do not wish to be confined tothe preferred embodiment shown in the drawings and described herein.

I claim:

l. A golf club cleaner, comprising:

an upwardly open generally rectangular washing liquid containingreceptacle having a front wall and a back wall joined with opposingsidewalls,

said front wall having an upper edge lying in a horizontal plane spacedbelow the plane of the upper limit of the backwall,

said receptacle having a rectangular top wall horizontally overlying andsecured to said backwall and a portion of the upper edge of thesidewalls adjacent the backwall,

the upper edge of each sidewall forwardly of the forward edge limit ofthe top wall being inclined forwardly and downwardly and merging withthe upper edge surface of the front wall;

a shaft joumaled by and extending beyond, at its respective ends, saidsidewalls adjacent their upper limit and the forward limit of said topwall,

said top wall having an opening in its forward edge medially its length;

a scrubbing brush coaxially secured to said shaft medially its ends;

a splash guard secured to said top wall around the opening therein andin overlying relation with respect to said scrubbing brush;

a motor drivably connected with said shaft;

a cleaning brush coaxially connected with one end portion of said shaft;

a fabric buffer coaxially secured to the other end portion of saidshaft; and, v

a section of resilient padding secured to the upper edge surface of saidfront wall and forming a fulcrum point for an intermediate portion of agolf club handle when the head portion thereof is disposed within theconfines of said receptacle, whereby the golf club head portion may besteadily positioned against the depending peripheral portion of saidscrubbing brush in a cleaning action.

1. A golf club cleaner, comprising: an upwardly open generally rectangular washing liquid containing receptacle having a front wall and a back wall joined with opposing sidewalls, said front wall having an upper edge lying in a horizontal plane spaced below the plane of the upper limit of the backwall, said receptacle having a rectangular top wall horizontally overlying and secured to said backwall and a portion of the upper edge of the sidewalls adjacent the backwall, the upper edge of each sidewall forwardly of the forward edge limit of the top wall being inclined forwardly and downwardly and merging with the upper edge surface of the front wall; a shaft journalled by and extending beyond, at its respective ends, said sidewalls adjacent their upper limit and the forward limit of said top wall, said top wall having an opening in its forward edge medially its length; a scrubbing brush coaxially secured to said shaft medially its ends; a splash guard secured to said top wall around the opening therein and in overlying relation with respect to said scrubbing brush; a motor drivably connected with said shaft; a cleaning brush coaxially connected with one end portion of said shaft; a fabric buffer coaxially secured to the other end portion of said shaft; and, a section of resilient padding secured to the upper edge surface of said front wall and forming a fulcrum point for an intermediate portion of a golf club handle when the head portion thereof is disposed within the confines of said receptacle, whereby the golf club head portion may be steadily positioned against the depending peripheral portion of said scrubbing brush in a cleaning action. 